It would be all too easy, especially at a time when recordings of Donizetti
operas seem to be issued at an ever-increasing rate, often performed in editions
much closer to the composer’s text than we have on these discs, to regard
Callas’s first studio recording of Lucia di Lammermoor as essentially
more of historical than musical interest. After all, she made a later studio
recording (1959) and there are many live recordings of her in the role, including
a much-praised version under Karajan in Berlin from 1955. Despite all of this
to me this is the performance that shows that Donizetti was a great dramatic
composer but whose music requires a particularly imaginative and sympathetic
approach from the performers for this to be apparent.

I have known this recording for many years but have not listened to it for
some time. Largely that was because of my memory of a particularly unatmospheric
recording quality which reduced the impact of what was obviously an immensely
exciting performance. Pristine have once again performed technical wonders
which I do not begin to understand but which have turned this ugly duckling
into the most radiant of swans. What was always worth hearing despite some
discomfort is now simply a joy to hear from beginning to end, encouraging
the listener to forget any concerns over recording balance or the brutal and
wholly unnecessary cuts and simply to enjoy what still seems an almost perfect
cast. The three main characters all sing with total dramatic and musical conviction.
Understandably the packaging is dominated by the name of Callas but in reality
the contributions of Gobbi and Di Stefano are of equal importance, all singing
with real urgency and imagination. The other roles are perhaps more routine,
even Raffaele Arié as Raimondo but Serafin’s wonderfully flexible
and understanding conducting disguises any small weaknesses in the cast. Although
Karajan’s Berlin performance is often praised I find it at times exaggerated
in comparison with Serafin’s equally positive but more idiomatic and
less self-conscious approach.

One result of the disgraceful cuts in Lucia is that the set is able
also to include Callas’s first commercial recordings. Here too Pristine
manage to make them much less uncomfortable for the listener although I have
not changed my view that these are essentially of interest in showing how
far Callas managed to travel later as an artist than for their own intrinsic
merits.

As usual with Pristine Audio there are no texts or translations, but these
are easily obtainable elsewhere and it would be a pity if this put anyone
off buying it. For admirers of Callas or Donizetti this set has always been
an essential part of their collections, and in this newly minted form that
is more than ever the case.

John Sheppard

For admirers of Callas or Donizetti this newly minted set is more than ever
an essential part of their collections.